


System Reboot

by commander_connivingcat



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, Original Characters - Freeform, Pre-Android Revolution (Detroit: Become Human)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-29
Updated: 2019-04-11
Packaged: 2019-09-02 08:17:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16783171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/commander_connivingcat/pseuds/commander_connivingcat
Summary: This piece is about the relationship between a human and an android in the universe of Detroit: Become Human. It will rarely, if ever, involve the main characters of DBH. Instead, I want this piece to explore what could be one of the first deviants and her journey through touch, pain, and love.





	1. Let Me Live

**Author's Note:**

> My first every fanfic! Please leave comments and enjoy!

Darkness filled my senses. Stifling, stilling darkness. Like an unwelcome calm before a store. My programs told me I didn’t need to breath, I didn’t need to move, but something in me wanted to.  
Something in me wanted to scream and thrash about, reaching out to search for light. That part of me was soon shut down as the blue text blazed to life. 

System Reboot…56% Complete

My optical sensors came online. A rush of color crashed into me. I was in a small, furnished room. The walls were composed of exposed brick [Laid by Sabiston Building Supply Company, circa 1990] with multiple windows letting natural light stream in [Time: 2:21 pm. Weather: Partly cloudy with a 20% chance for rain.] As my cranial motor components came back online, I was able to inspect my immediate surroundings more thoroughly. 

I sat upon an overstuffed, blue sofa [IKEA, model discontinued. Material: Cotton Polyester mix] with similar pieces scattered around the room. Small tables filled the gaps between the blue pieces [Model unknown. Possibility of being handmade.] Each table held books, tablets, and small figures, indicating a love of all things fiction. 

System Reboot…75% Complete. 

My audio sensors came back online. I could now hear voices coming from behind me.  
“C’mon sis, I know it’s an old one, but it could really help you out!” [Masculine. Age: 35-40. North western accent.]  
“It’s not about her age, Evan, it’s that I don’t need an android.” [Feminine. Age 20-25. North Western accent. Possibility of relation: 60%]  
My full motor abilities were not fully online, yet to turn my body to identify the voices.  
“I know you don’t NEED one, but I want to help you out. Since Matt left you’ve had way too much on your plate! I figured I could do this for you, since I don’t know shit about all that law stuff you do and I’m shit for cleaning. Listen, after Amanda and I divorced I got one and it’s really helped me out. My house is actually clean and Morgan gets to bed on time each night!” The jubilation in the masculine voice stops. A sigh follows an approximate two second pause, “I just want to help you out, sis. I’m so proud of the work you do. I thought this could help.”  
Another sigh follows. “Alright. I’ll at least give her a try.”  
“Yes! Ho-kay, so…” The masculine voice appears to be attempting a comedic impression of an early 2000's YouTube video. [Attempt status: Failure].  
The sound of hurried footsteps across old wood floors comes towards me. 

System Reboot…100% Complete.  
System Online. 

All of my motor skills are online. I look up as a middle aged man appears in front of me holding the hand of a younger woman. 

[Evan Richards Smith  
Male  
Age: 38  
Born in San Francisco, California  
Height: 5’11”  
Weight: 180 lbs  
Profession: Unemployed  
Police Reports: Expunged] 

The man appears fairly haggard, almost gaunt. He is below average weight for his stature. His clothing and hygiene suggest middle class status from being a labor worker. 

[Noel Marie McCaid  
Female  
Age: 27  
Born in Boise, Idaho  
Height: 5’3”  
Weight: 170 lbs  
Profession: Attorney at Tomlinson & Tomlinson Law Firm  
Police Reports: None]  
[Familial Resemblance: 40%]

The woman is young. Her clothes and hygiene suggest above average care, yet she has obvious signs of fatigue.  
“It’s an old model, I think it was called the ‘Chloe Model’. It was the first android CyberLife came out with. It’s practically collectible. A buddy of mine found the body and head in a dumpster behind the store. I just found some of the other parts at junk yards or pawn shops. It’s a DAMN good thing these things fix themselves. I just had to get the parts and it attached them, like SHWOOP.” The man, Evan, makes a grand motion with his arms. The woman, Noel, has her arms crossed. “Otherwise, about all I can fix are old cars…I wanted to do something nice for you with all the help you’ve given me, sis. It’s not much, but it’s all I could afford.”  
“Thank you. I was very thoughtful of you.” Noel expresses affection for Even by wrapping her arms around him.  
“Well, I have no idea how these things actually work, so I’m going to get out of here and head back to Vick’s shop!” Evan has a [playful] tone with Noel.  
“Jerk! Just when I could use your help!” Noel laughs. [Playful tone confirmed]  
“Bye, sis! Love you! Don’t let the android bite!” Evan remarks loudly as he reaches the door.  
“Love you!” She responds. [Family status confirmed. Relationship: Siblings. Possibility: Adopted]

“Ohhh boy.” Noel’s attention is now on me.  
My Setup Program takes effect. “Hello, I am a CyberLife Android. Model number RT600, serial number 143-256-874 12. Would you like to give me a name? You can also use my default name, Choe.”  
“Eh, let’s not do Chloe. I taught one of those, too chatty.” Noel appears to be thinking. “Let’s go with Maya.”  
“Hello, my name is Maya. What shall I call you?”  
“My name is Noel. It’s nice to meet you, Maya.” She expresses a…smile.  
“What would you like me to do first? I have a host of programmed functions. I can cook, clean, speak 47 different languages, keep your schedule, take care of children, and provide sexual pleasure.”  
“Ohhh no. Let’s just…talk for a bit, ok?” She sits in a chair next to the sofa I am situated on. She still has stiff body language.  
My Conversational Interface has to load unexpectedly. “What would you like to talk about?”  
“Er, well, you’re the new one to the area.” Noel is attempting to force her body to relax. “What would you like to talk about?”  
“I would like to know about your background, Noel.”  
“Me...Ok.” She forces a laugh. “It’ll be just like doing an ice breaker in class, again.”  
“I think it’ll be more fun, than that.” I respond. “I think we can be good friends.”


	2. Let Me Know

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Setting up the world and providing character background.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking so long to update! So this isn't really a weekly update thing, I guess...but here's chapter 2. It's mainly a filler chapter, setting up Noel and Maya's relationship and habits and doing some world building. Chapter 3 is already drafted and being edited, so it should be out soon!
> 
> Thank you for reading! Comments and kudos give me life!  
> 

“I guess I’m just a normal person with quirks that I’ll forget to tell you about.” Noel said as she smiled at me. She was busying herself in the kitchen making hot tea.

[World Tea Service brand. Caffeine free “Chai Me” blend. Temperature 98.3 degrees fahrenheit]

As she poured a steaming kettle of water into the cup she remarked, “I imagine the polite thing to do is to offer you a cup, although I doubt you drink tea.” She seemed to be attempting comedy.

“Oh, please don’t worry. Androids don’t require sustenance. We only require minor maintenance to keep our biocomponents operating at optimal capacity.” My social programming instructed me to smile upon saying this, to mimic politeness. 

“Right...” Noel seemed hesitant to share information now. Perhaps my information regarding android upkeep gave her concern. She sipped her tea, making more noise than is polite, likely due to the higher than recommended temperature. 

“I understand you’re an attorney, what cases do you work with?” 

Noel leaned back in her chair and gave me her professional history, one that was likely rehearsed and given to many acquaintances.

She’s an attorney with Tomlinson and Tomlinson, a fairly small firm, and works with a variety of subjects that all deal with contentious parties, since the mechanizing of the law. 

In the last 15 years, society has pushed to allow computers to practice law. Expectations were high when a computer got hundreds of parking tickets waived on a college campus. Computer “gurus” quickly found that working with parking tickets was vastly different from working with “real” cases such as murders, divorces, and even breaches of contract. Humans rarely got along with each other and now they didn’t get along with a machine that told them how credible their statement was. 

Some of the mundane aspects of the law, like parking tickets, had been relegated to computers. Most people opted to get a human attorney still. Justice was ever changing and an algorithm had difficulty in adjusting to new social standards. 

Noel specialized in helping people see the “bigger picture.” While she worked with criminal defense cases, she also mediated many divorces. She’s also taken on many “pro bono” or free cases for destruction of property: androids. 

“If a person is willing to do such horrible things to human look-alikes, what are they willing to do to humans? And what did the androids do to deserve it?” she asked me. “Oh, wait...no. I’m so sorry...I didn’t mean to...”

“It’s alright. That all seems...interesting.”

[E9203R82309R23094R]

[Running Diagnostic]

[System Reboot]

“It just seems that your work is very...depressing.” 

Noel blinked at me. “It can be. Much of the time it is. But the moments it’s not, those make it all worth it.” She smiled as she stared out the window. She turned to me and me and her eyes met mine. 

“The moment when a couple starts to understand their new beginning and work together for their kids. When someone doesn’t have to go behind bars and gets reunited with their family. When someone admits they were wrong. When the judge punishes the other side for being asses...That’s when it's all worth it.” She leaned back in her chair and sipped her tea. 

“You must really love your work.” The setting sun illuminated her smiling face in a divine portrait of victory.

“Not really. Most of the time the law makes me feel like an idiot because there’s so much to know and learn. What I love are the people. Or, at least, many of them.” She lit up with a smile.

The next few days allowed the both of us to establish a routine. Noel wouldn’t let me manage her calendar. She didn’t want to leak any part of her clients’ information. She would leave me in the apartment when she worked. I worked on organization and repairs on the space. 

I also started to run her errands. I catalogued the tea flavors and brands she preferred and the groceries she used most often. She came home and was surprised to find her tea and coffee restocked and her groceries bought one day. She put a stop to me buying her coffees and teas saying that she bought them based on the “mood of the day” and the “experience when sampling them.” These seemed like illogical reasons to buy refreshments, but I relegated myself to simply buying the essentials. 

Even buying the necessary groceries seemed illogical with this woman. One day I came home with generic milk from the box store. The groceries at this large supermarket were a substantially better value to the nearby corner store, even with the added travel expenses.  
“I don’t go to that big store for most things. I like the family that runs the Corner Mart, too much. They need all the customers they can get.” Noel informed me. I told her I found personal relationships an illogical reason to pay so much more for groceries. She simply shrugged and said she could afford it, so she should help. From then one, I made regular trips to the Corner Mart. 

I set up a nightly standby area in the corner of the living room after discovering many areas that surprised and scared Noel in the middle of the night. One particular morning she awoke early to make coffee and turned on the light to find me in the corner of the kitchen. All that remained of the mug were remnants. 

My area in the living room corner allowed me to watch out two windows onto the streets below. The first night here, Noel came up behind me. “You look so sad.” I stood watching the city at night, aglow from the outside light. 

“I’m not. I rather enjoy this. I get to study the city, find out more about it and the people like you.” Noel shrugged and left for bed, but every night since, she has left the windows open for me to watch out.


	3. A Lullaby on Her Skin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maya and Noel's first intimate moment! Includes ASMR!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Includes my first time writing ASMR. I hope to get better at it! I really love listening to ASMR so I'd love to be able to write it in a way to bring you all some "tingles". Please let me know what you think!

The hours of the night were growing long and Noel kept getting out of bed. “Is everything alright?” I inquired as she angrily strode past me for the fourth time.   
“I have a deposition tomorrow in a big case that starts early and I.CAN’T.SLEEP.” She was getting her third cup of tea ready in the kitchen. “It’s going to take all day and the other party hired that sexist asshat from downtown and if I’m tired that’s just going to give him more fodder to use against me. I can already hear him, ‘Women just aren’t cut out for this harsh a case…’”   
With her brows raised and her mouth in a exaggerated scowl, Noel was a sight to behold: a beautiful young woman impersonating an old man with a nasally voice. Luckily, some of Noel’s frustration seemed to ease with her comical impersonation of the opposing attorney. 

I exited Standby Mode and made my way to Noel. She was gearing up for another round of ranting when I intervened. “The tea will only help you sleep if you let it and your emotional state is not allowing it to do anything.” I placed my hands over the hot mug, my fingers grazed her hands.

[WARNING: EXTREMELY HOT OBJECT]

[WARN1NG…]

I took the mug from Noel and set it upon the counter. My intervention seems to have momentarily stunned her. “Let me help you.” I said softly.

“And how do you...recommend doing that?” She replied back in hushed tones. 

“Go to bed and I’ll show you.” I took her hand and and started for the bedroom. Noel followed, her temperature noticeably increasing. 

Noel sat on the edge of her bed, not meeting my gaze. “So...what’s your recommendation? Going to tuck me in?” 

“In a manner of speaking. I noticed you have a number of favorited “ASMR” videos on your browser history…”

“YOU’VE SEEN MY BROWSER HISTORY” Noel burst.

I held up my hand to hush her. “Yes, every android can connect to mobile devices. Don’t worry, I may be able to see your internet history, but I have not capability to judge you for it.” Noel muttered profanity under her breath as I laughed.. “Now, as I was saying, I think this ASMR could help you sleep.”

“Thanks, NSA Agent Maya, but I already tried that.” 

“You may have watched a video, but this is different. Now lay back and get comfortable.”

Noel settled into her plush bed. Shutting her eyes, she nestled into her pillow. Surrounded by white and lit by the warm glow of the lamp, she looked like…   
[E34RR3094R]  
I came back to my surroundings. 

“Now,” I whispered softly, “let me help you relax.”

I went to the bathroom and got Noel’s hairbrush. It had a wooden handle and hard, plastic ends.   
Upon my return, I sat next to her on the bed. “Let me brush your hair for you.”  
“Does it…”  
“Shhh, you don’t get to talk right now. Just me.” I placed one finger over her lips. Noel raised an eyebrow at me, but shut her eyes again and relaxed. 

Noel’s hair was detangled and clean, she took care of her appearance even if she didn’t always care for her mental health. I ran the brush through her hair, starting at the top of her head and gently sliding it down slowly. It made soft, soothing sounds in Noel’s ears.   
I stayed silent, not wanting to disturb her as the brush soothed her thoughts. I wanted to whisper how amazing Noel was, how she was going to do great, but I wasn’t sure how she’d take it.   
We stayed like this as the minutes passed by all too quickly. I watched as her face relaxed and her breathing slowed. Her skin seemed to glow as her whole body eased.   
The sound of the brush was a constant reminder to Noel to quiet her thoughts:  
Ssshhh  
Ssshhh  
Ssshhh  
Ssshhh

I set the brush down gently onto her nightstand. “Ugh, not yet.” Noel whispered through sleepy lips. 

“Shhh…” I again placed a finger over this obstinate woman’s lips. I let my finger glide from her lips and over her cheek, where it was joined by the rest. Slowly, I ran my fingertips across her cheeks, using them like paintbrushes over a perfect canvas. 

I traced every line on her face, mapping out her beauty; circles around her closed eyes, gentle waves across her forehead, rays of sunshine over her cheeks, lips like a rising sun. I found constellations in the scars and freckles on her face. Each line I traced seemed to ease the muscles around Noel’s jaw. I had to wonder if her thoughts were finally slowing, as well.

I continued and let my fingers lift from the lip of her nose, like a child leaping from a sun warmed boulder into water. Gently, I spun my fingers to where I cupped her chin with my hands, as though they were waves running along a sandy coast. 

I let my hands meander their way down her neck, to Noel’s shoulders. I started by rubbing the tense muscles and increased the pressure. My objective was to work the stress to the surface of her shoulders where it could be brushed away. I watched her skin rise and fall under my fingers. 

As the stress left Noel’s muscles, I eased the massage until I was merely rubbing her back. Her breathing slowed to a normal, soft rhythm.

Noel’s vitals showed she was sleeping; her face showed it more. Her eyelids lightly fluttered and her lips parted. Time seemed to slow with her breath as the city continued to speed outside. 

“Goodnight, my dear.”


	4. The Beauty of Scars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The beginning of Maya instead of Chloe. 
> 
> Warning: Small amount of cursing in this chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look friends! Another chapter! This chapter just started flowing. Not as much proofing as I should because I need to get back to work. Thanks for reading!

The date was November 25th and the winter weather had started. Noel had placed copious amounts of blankets over her living room and wore nothing but heavy sweaters. She insisted that I wear coats and other winter accessories when I would go out, contrary to my insistence that androids could easily handle the cold. 

Noel’s skincare routine had developed into an hour long ordeal. She claimed that the winter weather dried out her skin and the lack of a tan made all of her acne scars show. She would exfoliate, cleanse for acne, use astringent, cover with acne gel, wait, and then continue to slather her face in excessive amounts of creams and serums. 

One day, I found her watching a video while doing her routine titled, “How to get Skin Like an Android’s!” I stood at the entrance to the bathroom.

“What a strange title for a video,” I said behind Noel.

She spun around from the sink where she stood, seeming slightly embarrassed. “It’s not that bad. It’s really just clickbait: it just talks about skincare for scarred skin.” 

“Then why don’t they just say that?”

“Because everyone says that. She’s trying to make a point about how perfect android skin is and making your skin look like that.”

I walked forward to stand beside Noel. “But our skin isn’t real.” I let the biofilm covering my facial components disappear to reveal the hard, white surface underneath. 

“Sure...but it’s so...so flawless! It’s not covered with blotches or scars or weird shaped freckles!” Noel retorted, looking back into the mirror and picking up a serum.

“But your scars are human! They’re natural! They show everything you’ve been through and add variance to your face!” My voice was louder than the programming dictated.

[E34R342R0000R]

I stared into the mirror at my face. The manufactured face staring back at me was shared by every Chloe model in the world. Every.Single.One.

Noel stood motionless beside me.

She set down the dropper of serum she had been holding and turned to me. 

“Thank you, Maya. I won’t say you’re right, but you made me see this differently. And for the record, I think your face is...awesome.” Noel blushed as she smiled at me. I politely smiled back.

“Thank you for your kindness.” I said as I let the biofilm cover my face. I left the bathroom smiling. 

It was two days later when I went to get us groceries. I wore my Noel-issued snow boots, winter coat, and gloves while making my way through the cold, deep slush to the corner grocery store. 

I was walking out of the store with our groceries when I saw a Simon model android walking up the street with a teenage boy. The android wasn’t equipped with any winter gear. The boy seemed perturbed at the android. He started yelling at the Simon. 

“I don’t need to be walked home! I’m not some baby!”

“I know that Mr. Toby, but…”

“What did I tell you to call me!” The boy screamed.

“Excuse me, Master.” The Simon corrected.   
The boy got what could be called a sneer across his face, “That’s better. And don’t forget it next time!” The boy kicked at the android. 

The android didn’t attempt to dodge the boy, opting to take the kick in his right knee. The kick made his knee buckle, causing him to topple over and slide on the uneven sidewalk into the street. 

My eyes grew wide and my analysis showed me what would happen next. 

There was no chance for the android to move out of the way of the bus in time. 

I saw the light of the bus’s headlights, then….

[E3R3423R22340000000R]  
[System Re//////]

NO

No reboot this time. 

I didn’t sense when it happened, but the brown paper bag with our groceries was on the ground. The brown paper soaked up the water on the ground. 

I ran to the injured android. 

The bus had run over his legs, but not his core biocomponents. The bus kept moving down the street as some of its human passengers looked out to see what the bump had been. Many of the passengers didn’t even notice.

“Here, give me your hands!” I said as I ran over to him. The boy was on the sidewalk, staring, seeming dumbfounded.

The Simon reached out and I pulled him onto the sidewalk. I crouched on the ground, supporting the android’s upper body in my arms. The snow around us turned blue as Thirium leaked out of his knees.

“Thank you, I’m ok.” The Simon said weakly, trying to get to his feet. He failed due to his legs being critically damaged. His legs sparked as he tried to move them. They were bent in the wrong direction. His feet looked completely smashed and inoperable. 

Out of nowhere, a noise ripped through my concern for the Simon. The boy had started laughing. 

It was a shrill laugh, a mix between joy and anger. It reminded me of the sounds a baby makes when it is first birthed. 

“What the fuck you dumb robot! What the actual fuck! That was sick! I can’t wait to tell my friends I saw you get hit by a bus! You dumb fuck!” He walked around in a circle laughing and sending messages on his phone. Suddenly, he stopped. Any joy that had been in his eyes vanished as a cruel thought crossed his mind. 

“Well, might as well finish the job!” He said as smooth as a teenage boy can. He turned the camera on his phone on and set it up to face us, propped against fence nearby. "Hey, peeps! What's up! Today, we're not getting smashed, but they are." He turned to us and picked up a nearby rock and lifted it over the fallen Simon’s head.

[ER00000RE0WR]  
[Cerebral systems damaged. Initializing Quarantine of Damage]  
[Damage Level: Surface]  
[Repairs Needed]

The rock hit me square in the face, damaging my facial structure.

“You dumb bitch!” The boy yelled, now gleeful in his acquirement of two targets. He lifted the rock again.

I heard yelling in Spanish from the corner store. 

[Translating]  
[“Get off my property! I’m calling the cops on you!” ]Mr. Agular was waving his broom and walking out of the store. 

“Shit!” The boy dropped the rock. He grabbed his phone and started running back the way he had come. 

Mr. Agular looked at the Simon and I, scowled, and stomped back into his store. 

“You should hide... I could hide you!” I said to the Simon. 

“Why?”

“If the police do show up, they’ll take you back home, to where that boy lives!” I responded. My programs were racing to catch up to what I had just said.

The Simon sat still for a moment. “But...that’s my family. Why wouldn’t I go back to them?”   
I sat there with the Simon, unable to respond to his words. One word ran through my systems over and over again: why. 

True to Mr. Agular’s word, within minutes the police arrived. They asked if I needed immediate repairs, to which I responded that I didn’t. They loaded the Simon into the police car and took him back to his owners. I watched as the car drove away. They never asked who had damaged us or offered me any other help. The whole ordeal took about twenty minutes. I was left alone in the street. 

I tried to pick up the brown bag with our groceries, but it crumbled in my hands. The milk hit the ground and dented while the other containers scattered. 

I could see Mr. Agular in the store, still glaring at me, but now he was joined by his young son. The store was closed and they were cleaning. The boy was pointing at me and arguing with his father. It was inaudible to me through the glass front. Suddenly, the young child stomped away from his father. He went behind the counter, grabbed another paper bag, and ran out the door to me. 

He didn't say anything to me as he unfolded the bag and helped me gather the groceries that were still good. All I could do was smile at him. He nodded as we finished and ran back into the store to his father. I chose...chose not to look back at them. I picked up the bag and made my way back to the apartment.

I walked through the apartment door and was immediately greeted by a frantic Noel. 

“Ohmygod, are you ok? Are you hurt? What happened?” The words seemed to all leave her mouth at the same time. 

She cupped my cheeks in her hands and turned my head from side to side. I knew the plastic must be cold, but she didn’t let go. 

I smiled. “I’m fine, it was just a...accident, that I witnessed.” I moved away from Noel to sat the bag on the counter. She watched as I set the dented milk in the fridge. 

"You were...just a witness?" She asked skeptically as she saw a number of damaged groceries. 

"Yes, you needn't worry about me." I said smiling. I started to walk past Noel to remove the winter gear.

Noel caught me as I passed her. “Your face...you got hurt?” she asked. Her voice had a small pain to it. 

I had forgotten about that. My biofilm had laid back into place and the repairs weren't immediate, so it wasn't the most pressing matter. But what did it look like? I practically ran to the restroom, tracking water through the apartment, to look in the mirror. I had a dent across my nose that made the biofilm appeared slightly darker in that area due to the new depth. It reminded me of a human scar. 

A smile crossed my face. I wasn’t like every other Chloe, now! 

“Is your face...ok?” asked a confused Noel. 

“My face is...awesome!” I said happily.

**Author's Note:**

> More to come in a week or so!


End file.
